Review: Room (2015) · 1:32am Dec 29th, 2015

Irish director Lenny Abrahamson crafts a deeply moving, intense and intimate portrait of human triumph and motherly determination in this striking film.

Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue, who also wrote the intuitive and heartfelt screenplay, Abrahamson's Room is both unflinching in it's intensity, and deeply moving and gentle in its praising of human spirit. Abrahamson's impressionistic yet crystal clear direction takes the straightforward, direct narrative and weaves a moving painting of imagery and sound, filming with a soft, cool color pallet courtesy of cinematographer Danny Cohen, the film is a complete immersive experience, and much of that is because of the absolutely mind blowing performances from our leads.

Brie Larson has now firmly established herself as a truly great actress with this role. Perfectly balancing the complex swath of human emotions that her character must tackle over the narrative, Larson is a wonder, completely absorbing and dominating her screentime with pitch perfect ability. She never wavers, and she's never false, and she manages to balance her nurturing motherhood with a intense sense of brokenness and fragility, while having incredible strength in the face of such horrific adversity. Give her the Oscar right now.

Jacob Tremblay, a mere nine years old, is an absolute revelation in his stunning performance, which might be the best child performance since Quvenzhané Wallis' breakthrough in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Tremblay never ever shows falseness in his performance. Every single emotion he conveys, from the innocence of childhood, to the attempts to make sense of his rapidly changing world, is conveyed with a pure honesty that is astounding to watch. As the main focal point of the film, Tremblay is the glue that holds the film together, and in doing so, he astounds and amazes. Give this boy an Oscar nomination Academy, for he deserves it.

Joan Allen's calm and subtle performance as Brie Larson's mother is another gem. With the true ability of a seasoned great, Allen portrays her own set of emotions and scenes with grace and gentleness. It's a beautifully executed supporting turn, and one that is richly deserving of more attention.

The rest of the cast also do beautiful jobs in their part. From Sean Bridgers as the disturbingly casual kidnapper/rapist Old Nick, who holds Larson and Tremblay captive in the titular 10x10 foot Room for the first half of the film, to William H. Macy's brief, yet memorable turn as Larson's estranged father, every cast member is spot on and organic, and weave together perfectly.

Stephen Rennicks' deeply moving score is another vital facet of the experience this film offers. Providing a melancholic, yet ultimately beautiful and hopeful orchestral undercurrent, the score breathes life and emotion into the film in beautiful ways.

In the end, Room is a stunning triumph of a film, and firmly one of the best of 2015. lead by Larson and Tremblay's stupendous performances, this is a film that needs to be noticed and spoken of.

5 out of 5 stars.